Love me some guns!Silver Supporter

I've spent a few years in this forum discussing ways of carrying firearms. I've read the term, "Mexican Carry," which means a person carrying a handgun in their waist, near the front, without a holster. I never thought anything of it.

Last night I was at a dinner party and somehow Plaxico Burress came up. Somebody told the basic story and added that he was carrying without a holster. I said, "Yeah, that's called Mexican carry." Well, across from me is a woman who I know grew up in Mexico.

I'd never actually spoken the phrase, but when I did I was really struck by how it must have sounded to her. I turned to the woman and innocently asked, "Do you think that phrase is racist?" We discussed it for a bit and agreed that it sure sounded racist.

I read this quote once:

Massad Ayoob says:
The [Mexican Carry] term is not perjorative. It arose long ago among gun people. In homage to proud Mexican men of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Beset by trants who stripped them of liberties, including the right to carry guns if they were not part of the political elite, these defiant citizens.... needed to be able to ditch the gun to be retrieved later if they were about to have contact with Federales, and since a holster could not be so quickly ditched and would be prima facie evidence of resistance to tyrants' law, the holster was dispensed with.
- The Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry

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I don't know that I buy it, though. It sounds racist and so respectful firearms owners should consider another term.

Well-Known Member

Let me expound upon this... Mexico isn't a race, it's a place. Specifically, it's a nation, and people born and otherwise accepted as having special, permanent status in that country are known as nationals of the place- Mexicans. Mexicans, like people of many nationalities, are many races... various forms and mixes of Caucasians, Negros, and Asians.

Mexico isn't a race, nor does "Mexican" denote any race.

Therefor, "Mexican carry" cannot, in any way, shape, or form, be a racist term.

Well-Known Member2015 Volunteer

Yes, that's a horribly racist statement. You should also never say a restaurant serves Mexican food, refer to Cinco de Mayo as a Mexican holiday, or refer to people born in Mexico as Mexicans. I'm sure you would be just as offended if someone said that baseball was an American pass time, that McDonalds serves American style food or the absolute worst, refer to you as an American.

Well-Known Member2015 Volunteer

But to racists, the term Mexican can refer to anybody born south of the US border. Don't be dull.

Any thoughtful responses?

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No, usually they use a much more "colorful" term for people south of the border with brown skin. Usually a bigot will only call someone a Mexican out of ignorance because they don't realize that there is more than one country south of the United States.

Well-Known Member

If you want to debate about whether it's an offensive term, do that. But whether or not "Mexican carry" is a racist term is NOT an debatable argument- it's simply NOT a racist term. I'm sorry to pop your attempt at arousal, bro- but facts are facts.

Either way, it's ridiculous to be offended about this BS. Get off the sensitivity crap. In climbing, we have a thing called the "American death triangle." Am I offended by that phrase? No.

Active Member

People need to get over themselves. With all due respect to diversity of this great nation and everyone on these forums: racism works both ways weather it has positive or negative effects and it's not right either way. NAACP no longer has a purpose other than spend all day long looking around for people and companies to pick on. Affirmative action is based on racism. Coined terms such as Mexican carry, American carry or African carry are what they are, COINED TERMS. Weather or not these terms are derogatory is another question. Let's just call things what they are and stop worrying about being politically correct, because people make a big deal about things like this IMPLIES that somehow it's an issue. As long as people make it an issue, the problem of RACISM WILL NOT GO AWAY OR SOLVE ITSELF.

Love me some guns!Silver Supporter

Exactly! Thanks for the help. Is the term pejorative to Mexicans? Mexican food just describes a type of good food. Since carrying without a holster is in most cases pretty stupid, maybe cheap, certainly dangerous, are these the reasons we call it "Mexican carry"?

If so we should come up with a new term. If not, then I just need to get over it and use the phrase with pride.

Well-Known Member

When the OP asked if it was racist, what he meant to ask is: "is it pejorative toward those of Mexican nationality (whatever race they are)".

Instead of attacking his accidental misuse of terms, we could answer the question he meant to ask.

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Accidental misuse? Sorry, bro... I've had waaaaay too many conversations with people who don't have any idea that there is a difference, let alone what it is, between race and nationality, and what the implications be of either, to make your suggested assumption of what he was asking.

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